Ohio State’s season has been boiled down to one game, one shot, and one chance to keep the College Football Playoff path alive. If the Buckeyes don’t beat Oregon, the odds of getting in get awfully thin. And with the Ducks sitting 23rd in the first CFP Rankings and Ohio State somehow at 12th, this is the only ranked opponent left on the Buckeyes’ schedule.
That sets the stage for a game that has to look better than what Ohio State showed last weekend against the Trojans. The Buckeyes need more from Luke Fahey in his second start, more stability from a running back room that has been a problem all year, and at least one sign of life from a defensive line that has not lived up to the pressure it was supposed to create.
Fahey’s first start produced one touchdown pass, and it went to Jeremiah Smith, which is hardly a surprise given who Smith is. He’s the best player in the country, and Ohio State would be smart to keep feeding him.
Fahey wasn’t a disaster, and the loss wasn’t all on him. But the Buckeyes cannot afford another night where the passing game stays stuck in neutral.
Ryan Day and Arthur Smith should open things up more, and with the game at home, Fahey should be more comfortable letting it rip. Expect him to throw more often and hit paydirt at least twice.
The running back room is another place Ohio State can’t keep surviving on bad plays. It has been the most disappointing position group on the team, especially because it was supposed to be deeper and better than last year.
Instead, it has been a steady source of mistakes. Last week alone brought two crushing moments: Isaiah West coughed up a horrendous fumble after a catch, and Bo Jackson dropped a ball that could have turned into a touchdown.
Against Oregon, another back is likely to make a costly mistake. Legend Bey is a possibility, though he hasn’t been getting many carries lately.
West feels like the one on the hottest seat.
Then there’s the pass rush, or more accurately, the lack of one. Ohio State’s defensive line has not produced nearly enough pressure, and the sack numbers tell the story.
The Buckeyes have only 11 sacks all season, and just 6.5 of those have come from defensive linemen. That’s a major issue for a group that came into the year with questions about whether it had a true edge threat.
Last week, the only sack came from Jermaine Mathews Jr. Against Oregon, though, a defensive lineman finally breaks through and gets to the quarterback.
In Other News...
Ohio State Still Has A Path But Two Problems Need Fixing Fast
Cris Carter still sees a route for Ohio State to salvage its season and stay in the College Football Playoff conversation, but the path is getting narrower by the week. The Buckeyes have already felt the sting of recent losses, and with national championship expectations never far from the surface in Columbus, the margin for error has basically disappeared.
What stands out now is how much has to come together at once. The defense needs to tighten up, Luke Fahey has to keep developing, and Ryan Day is carrying the kind of pressure that comes with every big-game stumble. The next stretch will say plenty about whether Ohio State can steady itself in time to keep its postseason hopes alive. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Faces One Oregon Threat Fans Can't Ignore
With College Football Playoff stakes hanging over the matchup, Ohio State is getting a fresh reminder that Oregons offense may not be the only thing to worry about. The Ducks are expected to have wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan back from injury, giving them another weapon as they prepare to meet a Buckeyes defense that will already have plenty on its plate.
For Ohio State, the attention naturally shifts to Jeremiah Smith, who has been one of the teams top performers this season and a central part of the Buckeyes passing game. With both sides bringing high-end receiver talent into a game that could shape the playoff picture, the early read is that big plays and momentum swings may decide more than just the box score. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Smith Enters A Weekend That Could Change Everything For Ohio State
Jeremiah Smith heads into a weekend that has the feel of an early hinge point, not just for Ohio State but for the wider Heisman conversation. Around the country, several quarterbacks and playmakers are attached to matchups that could reshape the award race, with names like Kenny Minchey, Sam Leavitt, Keelon Russell, Trinidad Chambliss, Gunner Stockton, Devon Dampier and Bear Bachmeier all in the mix as fans and evaluators look for the next surge.
For Ohio State, Smith sits in the middle of that buzz, with every big performance carrying extra weight for both his trophy case and the sports card market that tracks these breakout moments so closely. The stakes are bigger than one Saturday, too, because wins and losses in these spotlight games can alter playoff paths and change how quickly a candidates profile rises, leaving this weekend with the potential to redraw the Heisman picture in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]